Pran says he took some of his dialogues from people he knew. For instance, Roop K. Shorey had an uncle who had the habit of saying: ‘Kyon? Theek hai na theek?’ Not only did Pran use that phrase, he even adopted the gestures that accompanied the words, as a part of that character’s persona. He would finish his sentence, then puff his cigarette, inhale a pinch of snuff and then say: ‘Kyon? Theek hai na theek?’

DHARMA (1973)

‘Kalaye tasme namah.’

BADI BAHEN (1949)

His introductory scene made him famous: He was to blow smoke rings that were to hit Geeta Bali, and as the smoke rings wafted into view, the camera would slowly pan on Pran.

SINDBAD THE SAILOR (1951)

Swashbuckler kind of film which needed a lot of sword-fencing. So Pran joined fencing classes to learn sword-fighting and used to practice it early in the morning every day.

AAH (1953)

Did the role of a doctor with spectacles.

DEVDAS (1956)

He played a very small guest role.

HALAKU (1956)

Pran used a change in voice and delivery with gaps in dialogue to portray Halaku, the grandson of Genghis Khan .
He shaved away his moustache for the role of Halaku in this film; a descendant of the dreaded Genghis Khan as Mongol warlords had thin, drooping moustaches.

ADALAT (1958)

Pran used a series of disguises in this film. His signature was a line oft-repeated or an accent that made the character he was playing authentic.

JIS DESH MEIN GANGA BEHTI HAI (1960)

In JIS DESH … he became famous as RAKA. He spoke slowly and he walked slowly. He often ran his fingers in the air across his across the throat. His mannerism indicated the man’s knowledge of his eventual fate.

DIL TERA DIWANA (1962)

It was a bidi that he smoked throughout. Only when drinking water was he shown without the bidi.

KASHMIR KI KALI (1964)

It was a line repeated throughout the film.
Chp 11: From KASHMIR KI KALI onwards I introduced the comedy element into my villainy.

KHANDAAN (1965)

Pran played a character called Naurangi Lal. His make-up, hairstyle and moustache, were all based on Hitler.
His look as well as his mannerism of “superciliously twitching his nose” made that characterization a memorable one.

SHAHEED (1965)

Pran played the role of a convict condemned to capital punishment.

DIL DIYA DARD LIYA (1966)

Pran himself says that he looked so different in that film that some people were amazed to know that he was in that film!

DUS LAKH (1966)

Some of the mannerisms he introduced were his own. For instance, smoking a cigar like he was playing a flute, the use of pigeon toes in DUS LAKH and the use of Hindi translated into wrong English (‘Tumhara taang tod dega’ translated as ‘you me leg break,’ said along with a gesture indicating that a bowler had clean bowled a batsman).

RAM AUR SHYAM(1967)

Pran used used blue contact lenses and prickly hair style for the role of Gajendra.

ANSOO BAN GAYE PHOOL (1969)

He played a Maharastrian character.

HEER RANJHA (1970)

The entire film’s dialogue was in blank verse, which meant that Pran had to memorize all his dialogue also in blank verse — which was not too difficult considering his passion is sher-o-shairi and he can easily quote any number of verses.
Pran’s daughter had a teacher who was lame and he used to walk in a very different sort of lame manner. Pran says: ‘When I got a chance to do a lame person’s role of Kaido in Heer Ranjah, I copied his style. He never used crutches. He used to use a stick to get around.”

KAB, KYON, AUR KAHAN (1970)

He used to toss a coin and deftly capture it on the back of his hand. “It always landed on the back of my hand; it never fell. … That gesture implied both over-confidence as well as extra-cleverness. It suited the character,” said Pran.

ADHIKAR (1971)

He played a Bhopali cycle-repairer, called Banné Khan Bhopali. This one was a paan-eater and had different fingers for chuna and kaatha for adding flavour. He created these mannerisms in the course of his shootings.

LAKHON MEIN EK (1971)

Pran played a truck driver. He also danced the Bhangra in this film.

MARYADA (1971)

In Arabind Sen’s Maryada, he perfected inverting a lit cigarette with his tongue and placing it back between his lips.

BE-IMAAN (1972)

Pran played an honest Police constable in this film.

BUNIYAAD (1972)

Pran’s role was that of a Muslim judge who is divorced.

JANGAL MEIN MANGAL (1972)

Pran played three characters: A woman-hating bachelor-professor of Biology and his nephew, the effeminate student. He also dressed as a woman. This was Pran’s first attempt at playing a woman’s character on screen. To cash in on his publicity its producer also added, in bold letters, in the advertisements of the film along with the cast-names, also “and co-starring Pran, Pran – and Prani!”

PARICHAY (1972)

Outwardly stern but inwardly soft grandfather, devoid of the love of his son but finding fulfillment in his grand children who consider him a terror and become defiant.

YEH GULISTAN HAMARA (1972)

Pran found himself enacting the role of a Tribal Chief, and had to don very heavy get-up and head-gear. As an accomplished actor, he could adjust even to this though he could not resist that tongue-in-cheek remark when he said: “I feel as if a donkey’s heavy burden has been loaded upon another donkey!”

JOSHILA (1973)

Pran looked unlike Pran and more like someone else. I copied the beard style of Mr. Kendall, Shashi Kapoor’s father-in-law. I studied his photographs, showed it to my make-up man, and here I am.” . . . Pran gives a memorable performance in the film as a crippled man.

JUGNU (1973)

Pran played a professor. He copied Mujibur Rehman's get-up and make-up, everything, from his waistcoat, wig, glasses and moustache.

ZANJEER (1973)

Pran decided that “Merely by changing a costume or wearing a red beard and wig, I wouldn’t have been very impressive as a pathan in ZANJEER. So I also changed my voice to sound like a real pathan. . . . do as many as eighteen re-takes to get the pronunciation of a word precisely right.” He played a red-haired and bearded, tough Pathan with a heart of gold.

KASAUTI (1974)

Pran played a Nepali character and spoke Hindi with a Nepali accent.
He also got an outfit from a Nepali neighbour as well as a real khukri because in some of his scenes required it.

MAJBOOR (1974)

In MAJBOOR his trademark was using a pair of binoculars (durbeen) to view things – even those quite close at hand. This is how the real villain is identified in the film – through Pran’s durbeen.
His effective use of make-up in his death scene made it a memorable one.

VISHWANATH (1975)

Played the character of Golu Gavah, a small-time lawyer, who stands outside the court, willing to become a witness for anyone willing to pay him. Pran used a Punjabi accent for this character.

CHOR KE GHAR CHOR (1978)

Chander Sadanah said: “Pran Sahab would study all sorts of books. In CHOR KE GHAR CHOR, we wanted the character of a mad person. He said he had seen a mad person roaming around in the Band Stand area in Bandra who used to wear a military dress with medals. Using that as the base, he worked on the character in such detail that in seven days, he even gave us a rough sketch of that character!

KRODHI (1981)

Used a flowing beard and Moses-like get-up.

FILM HI FILM (1983)

He portrays a film producer; his character was very close to that of the later pioneer film-maker Chandulal Shah. And Pran put on his make-up and character to bring out the best effect.

NIGAHEN (1989)

He used a beard which is exactly like the one the late Rajiv Gandhi’s man, Sam Pitroda sported.

Kashmir ki Kali

'Shatale, Shatale, Mera Bhi Samay Aayega'

In one of B. Subhash’s films [APNA KHOON (1978), ZALIM (1980) or TAQDEER KA BADSHAH (1982)] Pran based the look of the character on Abraham Lincoln.